


Leftover Soldiers

by Sukei



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Canonical Character Death, Heavy Angst, I'm Sorry, Not Really Character Death, Poetry, fuck the pale king, i'm sad now, my friend called me the angst master after i showed her this, perhaps even the SHSL angst-
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sukei/pseuds/Sukei
Summary: The king isn’t there.He’s long gone.The king isn’t coming…So the knight will wait.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Leftover Soldiers

Step. Step. Step.

Just the slightest pitter patter of sound echoing in the cavern.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The noise added onto with a threat.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

One staggers with a soft breath.

A slump. A splat. A fall.

  
  
  


They’re tired, enough to be slumped, enough to be ready for the epilogue.   
  
“Again,” the king says.   
  
They stand, sick and respondent, and answer the call.

“Again.”

“Again.”

_ “AgAIN.” _

**_“aGaIN-”_ **

  
  


It hurts when their breaths puff out, a straining feeling in their chest.

The king says nothing.

That hurts more.

Then they look up, ready for the entropy.

But the room is empty.

  
  
  


Still stepping.

Pitter patter.

Still clinking.

A threat.

Still dripping.

With pain.

Still falling.

Like a promise.

  
  
  


They stand, and the king is gone.

They sit, and there’s no voice to chastise.

They shiver, and the taboo isn’t found.

They search, and they find a title.

  
  
  


They’re a knight, perhaps.

Guarding.

They’re a child, perhaps.

Growing.

They’re a hero, perhaps.

Giving.

They’re a sacrifice, perhaps.

Gutted.

  
  
  


The king isn’t there.

He’s long gone.

The king isn’t coming…

  
  


So the knight will wait.

The knight will guard,

They will guard.

  
  
  


Until the king,

Is undead.

Until their body,

Is dead.

Until the duty.

Is over.


End file.
